by Wilde, B. L.
“Oh, of course I did. My heart bled every second we were apart,” I snorted.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to deny me forever. I think it’s time you give in to me, Jade. I’m here for a few days and so are you. We should use the time to fuck like rabbits. Hell, we might even learn a few things from each other. You never know.”
“It doesn’t matter how many times you try and get into my panties, Mario, it’s never going to happen.”
“You’ll break one day. No female can resist this.” He motioned toward his body, and I tried really hard not to laugh.
“Whatever. Now can you move your foot before I slam this door on it?” I threatened.
“I’m only down the hall if you get lonely,” he smirked, running his hands through his slick, gelled hair. I shook my head. I really hoped I got a mission soon. The thought of spending time alone here with Mario filled me with dread.
Chapter Eight
If we do this again, Jade, it’s for keeps.
I was restless in my sleep, dreaming of Oliver’s touch and the way he made me feel when his lips caressed my skin. Trying to push him out of my mind didn’t work when I was asleep. He invaded my dreams almost every night.
I love you, Jade. That never changed.
I knew he wouldn’t feel that way anymore. He knew the truth, and that was for the best. I’d deluded myself into thinking we could have ever made it work. He was too good for me. He deserved better, someone who wouldn’t break his heart by lying to him.
You’re the one I’ve chosen for myself. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?
I bolted upright in bed, the low sobs in my chest causing me to awake. It couldn’t have been me he wanted because he didn’t know the real me. I was sure he hated me by now, anyway.
It had been over a week since I left him. I’d already been to see Miles, who told me that Oliver had made no attempt to try and find me this time. I should have been happy about that—it meant he’d listened to me—but knowing I’d never see him again was difficult for me to deal with. I loved him; I always would. How was I supposed to move on from that?
I held my chest, unsure why was my heart beating so fast. It was only a dream. In the dim light, I reached for the glass of water on my bedside table and took a sip before lying back down.
Gazing into the darkness, only one thing raced through my mind. What was Oliver doing right then? Was he missing me as much as I was missing him?
Jade, you’re not going to get over him this way. It didn’t matter. Deep down, I knew I didn’t want to get over him anyway.
“I don’t understand. Dr. Reynolds saw the research on his assistant’s laptop,” Alicia frowned. “The power core was taken from a secret laboratory.”
“I told you Oliver wouldn’t have kept anything from me. The power core was still a prototype. Judging by what he told me, I don’t think the core will ever exist. It’s too volatile.” I smirked in Alicia’s direction. Take that, Bitch! You won’t be getting a paycheck as big as you were planning!
“Due to this unfortunate ending, the settlement we receive will be less than we had estimated. Our client is still paying us a reasonable reward, though. They will be studying the prototype and seeing if they can advance it themselves, but that will take years of work.” Sonia sighed, looking back at her computer.
“This is bullshit!” Alicia screeched. “We did as they asked. We should get the full payment!”
“We didn’t complete the mission. We stole a prototype, not the actual power core,” Sonia snapped, glaring at Alicia.
“How can we steal something that doesn’t exist?”
“Alicia, I would shut up if I were you,” I warned, noticing Sonia trying to hold her tongue.
“Fuck off, Jade! What did you even do in this mission, anyway? You fucked the target and developed a soft spot for him.”
“Jade was the one who sealed this assignment, Alicia.” Sonia’s voice was firm. “Which is why I’m only giving you a small percentage of the take!”
“You can’t do that!” Alicia was up and out of her chair almost instantly.
“You broke protocol. What if we’d needed Jade to do another case with Mr. Kirkham? You disobeyed the rules and must be punished.” Sonia was clever, I’d give her that, but I knew Alicia would be getting a secret payout for helping to expose my true identity to Oliver.
“This is a fucking joke!”
“I suggest you leave now, Alicia, before you say something that will get you into trouble!” Alicia stormed off. I had to admit they’d played this well. If I hadn’t already known the truth, I would have believed the whole conversation.
“I’m sorry about that, Jade,” Sonia winced.
“It’s just Alicia being Alicia,” I shrugged.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” I lied.
“Do you feel ready to go on a small mission?”
“Yes. When?” I’d take any mission I could to get away from Mario right now. He was so damn persistent.
“Tomorrow. You’ll fly out to meet Zara and Drew in Germany.” I nodded; a mission with Drew and Zara was just what I needed. I had some questions to ask Drew about Georgie and him, anyway.
“Are you sure you want to do surveillance?” I asked Zara while Drew was checking the hidden earpieces.
“Yeah, I don’t mind. It will be good to watch the masters at work,” she winked.
“Masters?” I sniggered. “I don’t know about that.”
“Don’t be so modest, Jelly Bean,” Drew called. “Everyone knows you’ve just completed the biggest mission in Seductor history.” Was he bringing that up on purpose? I scowled at him. Of course he was. That was Drew for you.
“Don’t you have some rich Barbie doll to seduce?”
“Yes, but you’re already halfway there seducing her brother in that dress,” he commented. “If I didn’t look at you like a sister, I’d…”
“Stop right there, Drew,” I cautioned. “I know how your mind works.”
“You two are so funny,” Zara giggled.
“You should have seen us on a mission that involved an orgy, Zara,” Drew teased as her mouth fell open.
“Drew!” I yelled, slapping his shoulder. “We’ve never done a mission like that!”
“Oh, was that me dreaming again?” he questioned. I shook my head at him. I never minded the banter with Drew because I knew he was joking.
After we’d check our earwigs, we were ready to head to the sophisticated party. Drew cleaned up well and looked quite good in his tux. Tonight we were seducing the rich Bolton Twins, who were hosting the party in their luxurious mansion. Ellie and Donald were originally from England, and were worth a fortune due to their family’s money. The Seductors had been hired to steal an expensive painting from their estate. With their parents away, it would be easy to acquire, especially with the party being held in the same location.
We needed surveillance from Zara to make sure we were stealing the correct painting, as there were many valuable pieces of artwork in the mansion. We’d also hacked into the estate’s CCTV system, so she’d be able to keep an eye open for us once we’d discovered the piece we were looking for.
“So…first mission since Mr. Rich. How are you holding up?” Drew asked as we approached the mansion.
“I’d be better if you weren’t talking about him.”
“Okay, that answers my question,” he mumbled before we were greeted by security. “You really don’t want to talk about it?” he asked once we were inside.
“How about we talk about you and Georgie?” I glared, changing tactics. Drew wanted to get personal. Let’s see how he felt if it was about him instead.
“What do you mean?”
“Oliver heard the two of you when you stayed at his apartment. Please tell me you were acting!”
“It just happened,” Drew stressed, helping me out of my coat before passing it to the coatroom attendant in the lobby area and getting a ticket.
> “Jesus, Drew! What were you both thinking? You two were giving me a hard time about falling for my target. This is just as bad. You know relationships between Seductors are forbidden, too!”
“It was just sex.”
“With one of your closest friends. I don’t buy it! If it had been Zara, Faith, or even Alicia—anyone other than Georgie—I would believe you.”
“Drop it, Jade,” Drew cautioned. “Nothing is going on!”
“It’s not nice having someone invading your personal life, is it?” I pointed out, crossing my arms while following him into the grand ballroom where all the guests were gathering.
“I’ll drop it, okay? I won’t ask about Mr. Rich again.”
“Thank you.” I smiled sweetly, scanning the crowd. It was time for Drew and me to separate and get to work. “I’ll see you at midnight,” I murmured, turning my earpiece on.
“Are you sleeping with yours?”
“Not if I can help it,” I muttered, moving into the crowd to search for my target.
My mark wasn’t difficult to find. Five bimbos, all laughing at his jokes while drinking champagne, surrounded him. What was it with these rich men? Most acted like they were gods or something just because of their money. Oliver had been so refreshing… No, Jade, you can’t think about him right now.
I walked over to the bar and ordered a glass of champagne before positioning myself at the end of the counter so I was in my target’s line of sight. I sat on a silver bar stool, crossing my legs, making sure they were visible to.
It took about half an hour for our eyes to connect. I glanced away, acting shy, before looking back toward him. He was still watching me like I knew he would be. His long gaze began to drop down towards my legs. I gave him a small smile, running my hand slowly down my right thigh, and he appeared to be excusing himself from the group of ladies surrounding him. That’s right, you need to come to me. I’m not doing battle with those bimbos. I turned away, pretending to not notice his approach.
“I saw you looking at me from across the room,” he whispered close to my ear. “I thought I’d come over and introduce myself.”
“You don’t need to, Mr. Bolton. Your reputation precedes itself.” I smiled warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Jade—Jade Foster.”
“It’s lovely to meet you, Jade. How are you enjoying the party?”
“It’s amazing. Although…I can’t seem to find my friend. She invited me.”
“You’re from America?” he mused, motioning for the bartender to fill both our glasses with more champagne.
“Yes, near Florida.”
“Are you just visiting Germany?”
“Yes, I came to stay with my friend for a few weeks.”
“The friend that stood you up? What’s her name? I might know where she is?”
“This guy is so slimy. He’s making me want to barf,” Zara sniggered into my ear. I tried to regain composure, but she was right.
“Samantha Heart,” I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. I knew the underwear model had been invited to this party but was currently held up in Paris.
“Oh, knowing Sam, she’ll arrive fashionably late. I can keep you company until then, if you’d like?”
“But it’s your party! Don’t you have people to greet?”
“I’ll leave all that to my sister. I’m just here for the alcohol and beautiful women anyway.”
“Oh, please. Where do they get these lines?” Zara snorted in my ear.
“Sounds like quite a life,” I mocked.
“How about I give you a grand tour of the mansion?”
I smiled seductively, gracefully slipping off my stool. “I’d love that.”
“Okay, Jade, you’re looking for The Lone Soldier. It’s a military piece from the 18th Century. Drew hasn’t gotten inside the main house, yet. He’s still chatting up his mark. He’s almost there, though. Man, some of his lines… Has he been hanging around with Mario?” I couldn’t stop a little giggle escape my lips.
“Something amusing?” my target asked.
“It’s the champagne.”
“This is the main drawing room. Mother and Father adore this room.” I stood pretending to be awestruck as I gazed around at all the wealth, not to mention the paintings. There had to be at least fifty in here, and this was just one room. “Impressed?” Not really, I’ve seen this all before.
“Very,” I gasped. “I thought the main ballroom was amazing, but this…”
“There are many perks to being rich,” he smirked, pulling me against his chest. “Have you ever been with a millionaire, Jade?” Countless times, Asshole! I’ve been with billionaires too!
“No, you’re the first I’ve met,” I whispered, running my hands down his chest. “And I have to admit, you’re making me a little nervous.”
“There is nothing to be nervous about, Baby,” he cooed, running his hands down toward my ass. “Let’s get another drink to help relax you. I can show you the wine cellar, too.” I nodded, following him.
By the time I’d had the grand tour of the mansion, I counted at least three hundred paintings in this house. At least thirty of them could have been The Lone Soldier. I hope Drew had a better luck than me in trying to find it before we met up later.
“Well, there is only one place left for me to show you.” My target’s eyes darkened as they roamed over my body. “If you’re still willing, I’d love to show you my bedroom.”
“You’re not going to sleep with him, are you, Jade?” Zara asked in my ear. “Stun the bastard. He’s way too slimy.”
“Sure, lead the way. I’m looking forward to it.”
“So am I,” he gleamed, licking his lips.
“Drew got the passcode. You’ll be able to make a quick escape once you have the painting.” Zara continued to update me while I stood looking around my target’s room. He’d gone to get another bottle of wine before we got down to business. “You’re not going to sleep with him, are you?” she asked again. “Drew is already getting busy with his outside in the garden.” Jesus! He really had no boundaries. “Oh no, now I think he might be moving into the house.”
“I won’t be sleeping with mine, Zara,” I whispered. “I’ll be putting him to sleep.”
“Good. I’m trying to research this painting more. There has to be something that distinguishes it from the other paintings.”
“Okay, anything will help. They have a lot of military paintings.” I could hear my target making his way back into the bedroom.
“I have a bottle of my father’s finest wine.”
“Why don’t you let me pour while you get more comfortable on the bed?” I suggested.
“Only if I can strip you of that dress first.” Great! I’d love to have a least one mission where I could try and keep my damn clothes on! That never bothered you before, Jade. He came up behind me, his arms encircling my waist. “I want to see you,” he muttered before his lips kissed down my neck. It took all my strength not to pull away, thinking about whose lips had been there last time.
I felt his fingers begin to pull the zipper to my dress open. As he slid the material down my body, his hands gripped my breasts, kneading them in a circular motion.
“Whoa, slow down,” I panted, breaking free.
“You are so sexy.” He tried to reach for me again but I moved.
“Go and lie down on the bed. I’ll bring the drinks over after I’ve poured them.”
“I guess it will mean I can take a good look at you from my bed.”
“You rich boys are quite perverted, aren’t you?” I teased, watching him saunter over to his bed.
“Oh, I’m all man, Baby. I’ll prove that when you bring that sexy body over here.” I rolled my eyes, knowing my back was to him. After pouring the wine, I slipped the sleeping powder in his wine glass. I giggled to myself, remembering when Molly told me she’d accidentally drank the powder before and was asleep for almost twelve hours.
“You’ll be gentle with me, right
?” I purred, moving seductively toward him. “I don’t usually do this kind of thing.”
“Relax, Baby,” he soothed, taking the wine glass from me and placing it down on his bedside table. Damn it, I needed him to drink it. I was still clinging to my wine glass as he tried to take it from me. “I’ll look after you, don’t worry.”
“I could really use one more glass of wine. You know, for courage,” I smiled shyly. He patted the mattress beside him. “Sit down and we can drink our wine in bed.”
“Stun the bastard if the powder doesn’t work,” Zara hissed.
I moved around the bed, sliding in next to him and then taking a large sip of wine. “Aren’t you drinking your wine?”
“I’d rather look at you.” His voice was husky as he ran his fingers down the side of my leg from my thigh to my ankle. “But one more glass wouldn’t hurt, I suppose.” I sighed in relief as he took two sips of his wine. He wouldn’t need to drink too much before the powder began to work. “I’m glad Sam stood you up.” He moved, taking my glass from me as he did. “Enough wine. I want to fuck now.” My back hit the mattress and his hands began to roam my body hungrily. As they slipped into my bra, stroking over my nipple, I closed my eyes. Please, powder, start working! Suddenly, his actions slowed and his body slumped over me.
“Thank fuck for that,” I sighed, rolling the asshole off me.
“Is he out cold?” Zara asked.
I checked his pulse and lifted his eyelids. “Yeah, he’s out. How’s Drew getting on?”
“He’s groaning. I think it sounds like they are almost done.”
“He does know this is a mission, right? It’s not how many times he can I bang a girl in one night,” I replied, picking up my dress and zipping it back up. “You wait until I find him.”
“He’s trying to tire her out, I think, and I just told him what you said,” she snorted.
“Zara!”
“What? It was funny. I think his mark is out cold now, too. Yes, he said he'd meet you in the drawing room. He thinks the painting is in there.” Oh, so Drew had been doing something other than having sex. That was good to know.